The present invention relates in general to providing computer networking services with optional service features or resources, and, more specifically, to redirecting traffic from a user in response to authorized services accessible to the user.
In a typical computer network, most types of communication depend upon unique addresses assigned to specific hardware components on the network. The address of an intended recipient is included in each packet or datagram transmitted within the network so that the recipient can recognize and process transmissions intended for it. A full address may include a network address portion, a hardware or host portion, and a port identification.
Computer network service providers operate local or wide area networks to which their customers connect by dial-up, digital subscriber line (DSL) service, or cable modem, for example. The service provider's network includes a hub or gateway that functions as a concentrator or aggregator connected to a plurality of remote users. The gateway routes user traffic to destinations in the local network or to an external network, such as the Internet. The gateway often functions as a service selection gateway (SSG) which allows users to connect to various subscribed, on-demand network services. These subscription services may include a walled garden having various content servers, video on-demand servers, and voice services, or may include a firewall for handling all traffic between the user and the Internet, for example.
Network addresses, whether within a local area network or over interconnected networks, follow a specific protocol such as Internet Protocol (IP) addressing, which is part of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite. When a service selection gateway receives traffic from a user, it must direct that traffic according to 1) a user service profile that identifies the services to which the user has subscribed and 2) the requested service or destination implicit within the traffic received from the user. If the user is authorized to use the particular service, then the service selection gateway routes the corresponding user packets to the appropriate service by inserting the correct IP address for the service into the packets. Since any initial destination address may be replaced, this process is called redirection.
Prior art service selection gateways have had to be configured with the IP address corresponding to each service or host to which user traffic is to be redirected. Therefore, whenever the network resources are changed (e.g., adding or deleting services, or replacing host equipment), the service selection gateway must be manually reconfigured. This is especially burdensome for larger networks using many concentrators/service selection gateways accessing the services.